Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

• 1 bunch asparagus, roasted
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 leek, cleaned and roughly chopped
• extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• chives, chopped (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil, garlic, and leek. Simmer until garlic is fragrant and the leeks start to look transluscent. Add the asparagus and broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat.

2. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup so that it’s smooth and creamy. Taste, then add sea salt and freshly ground pepper if needed. Top with freshly chopped chives and enjoy.

NOTE: If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use an upright blender; but you need to use extreme caution —hot liquids have been known to expand and burst out of the top of the blender. If you are blending in an upright blender, I strongly recommend blending the asparagus and broth before heating, then add the leeks and garlic to the blender and blend again. Return soup to pot and heat gently until almost boiling, and then serve.

Recipe by Andrea Nakayama